


Nine Times He Couldn't and One Time He Did

by fangirlingtodeath513



Series: Ten Ways [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: 9 and 1, Almost Love Confessions, Crushes, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Requited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-02 14:53:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13320504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingtodeath513/pseuds/fangirlingtodeath513
Summary: Dean Winchester doesn't have problems acknowledging his feelings. Most of the time, he knows his feelings before he even gives them a thought. Sharing them, though, that's where Dean runs into a brick wall. Especially with Castiel.They've been tiptoeing around what they have for nearly a decade now, and Dean's tired of it. So he takes his chance- rather, ten chances- and tells the fallen angel how he really feels.Or, the nine times Dean can't say the L word and one time he finally, finally does.





	Nine Times He Couldn't and One Time He Did

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of two fics, with the other probably posting in the next few days.
> 
> This is based on a post I saw on Tumblr [here](http://envydean.tumblr.com/post/125607526835/one-hundred-ways-to-say-i-love-you), I just picked 9 of the ones I thought sounded the most like things Dean would say. 
> 
> 1\. It's okay, I couldn't sleep anyway.  
> 2\. It's two sugars, right?  
> 3\. You can borrow mine.  
> 4\. I want you to have this.  
> 5\. Take my jacket, it's cold outside.  
> 6\. Come here, let me fix it.  
> 7\. You're not that heavy. I'm stronger than I look.  
> 8\. We'll figure it out.  
> 9\. I made your favorite.  
> 10\. I love you.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**One**

 

Three weeks after the Winchesters, Castiel and Mary included, finally finish off Lucifer, Castiel falls for good. He waves off the concern of Sam and Mary, gently reassuring Dean that he chose to fall and could have stopped it, had that been what he wanted. Dean remains concerned, but stops looking so guilty after a few days.

 

Despite Cas wanting to be human, it’s much harder to adjust to than he’d anticipated. He’s constantly forgetting that he has to eat and drink water and sleep, much less shower. Dean can usually hear him rummaging for a snack late at night, sometimes well past midnight. Normally, he gently guides Castiel back to his room with a handful of graham crackers and a promise of a warm breakfast and a hot mug of coffee as soon as Castiel wakes. Tonight, though, something feels off when he enters the kitchen. Castiel has his back to the door, but instead of searching the cabinets for a snack like he normally does, he’s standing with his shoulders hunched, staring down at the counter. It’s after two in the morning, much later than Cas usually gets a snack. Dean approaches slowly, resting a hand on Cas’s shoulder gently.

 

“Cas? You alright?” A sniffle and a quick brush of his hands under his eyes gives him away, but he turns and flashes a smile in Dean’s direction nonetheless.

 

“I’m fine, thank you. Just hungry, I thought I’d grab a snack before heading to bed.” Dean raises an eyebrow, leaning against the counter next to the fallen angel.

 

“It’s after two, why are you still awake?” Castiel hums somewhat defiantly, shrugging and glancing at Dean quickly before training his eyes back on his own hands.

 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Dean chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“Fair. Seriously, though, you can tell me if something’s wrong. I know this has to be hard for you. Last time you were…”

 

“Human?” Cas supplies, his voice softer. Dean nods, sighing softly.

 

“Last time you were human, I was really shitty to you and… I just want to make sure this time is different. I want to make sure you’re coping okay, so if you wanna talk or… even if you just wanna hang out and not talk at all, I’m okay with that. Whatever you need, Cas.” Castiel nods, a grateful smile spreading across his face.

 

“Thank you, Dean. Perhaps I’ll take you up on that sometime. I should be getting to bed, though, I’m very tired. See you in the morning.” Cas glances at the cabinets for a moment, most likely contemplating whether he should grab a snack, but ultimately turns on his heel and walks back to his room. Dean hears the faint noise of his door closing a moment later. He stays rooted to his spot in the kitchen for a few minutes before sighing to himself and heading to his room. He tugs his shirt and jeans off, tossing them in the direction of his hamper and grabbing a Henley and a pair of sweats from his dresser. He tugs them on, brushing his teeth quickly before crawling into bed. He’s asleep mere seconds after his head hits the pillow.

 

Three hours later, Cas decides to take him up on his offer. A soft knock sounds on his door, followed by a louder one a minute later when Dean doesn’t answer. The louder one rouses him from his deep sleep, and he stands as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. He opens his door a crack, blinking quickly against the bright light from the hallway.

 

“Cas? Everythin’ alright?” Bright blue eyes look up at him, though they’re red-rimmed and clearly filling with tears again. Despite how fluffy and adorable Cas looks with his disastrously messy hair and an oversized shirt and sweats acting as his pajamas, Dean’s heart aches for his best friend. His hand twitches, a subconscious reminder that he could reach out and grab Castiel by the shirt, the one that  _ used _ to belong to him, and kiss him until the tears left his eyes. 

 

“I… I can’t sleep. Everytime I close my eyes, every bad thing I’ve ever done comes flooding back into my mind. I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you…” Castiel turns to retreat back to his room, but Dean’s hand closes around his arm gently, stopping him. It would be simple, really, just three little words that could boost Castiel’s mood and show him that, no matter what, he’ll never be a burden to Dean. Instead, Dean opens the door farther, a small smile on his lips.

 

“It’s okay, I couldn’t sleep anyway. Why don’t you go grab your pillow and then come on in here and stay with me?” Castiel turns hopeful eyes to him, skirting over his face for a moment. He seems content with that offer, nodding and turning back to his room. It only takes him a moment to collect his two pillows and pad softly back to Dean’s room. Dean moves his pillows to the side of the bed nearest the door, laying down and patting the empty space next to him. The invitation lingers between them for a moment before Cas sets his pillows down and curls up under Dean’s blankets.

 

“Thank you, Dean.” Dean smiles, squeezing Cas’s arm reassuringly.

 

“Anytime.” They lay there for a while, with Cas eventually drifting off first. Dean forces himself to stay awake for an hour afterwards, making sure Cas is sleeping soundly before he finally falls asleep.

 

**Two**

 

Neither he nor Cas are awake before twelve. They don’t have a case and the supernatural world has been blessedly low-key since Lucifer’s death. Dean finally rolls out of bed well after one, pulling on his robe and padding softly to the kitchen, making a fresh pot of coffee and a large plate of scrambled eggs. He pours two mugs, stirring in two spoonfuls of sugar into one and setting both on the tray with the plate of eggs. He grabs two forks, lifting the tray gently and walking quietly back to his room. 

 

Cas is grumbling quietly under his breath, stirring slowly. By the time Dean sets the tray of coffee and eggs on the nightstand, he’s rubbing sleep out of his eyes and sitting up slowly. Dean smiles gently, grabbing the coffee with sugar and holding it out to the ruffled former angel. The words almost leave his mouth again,  _ almost _ , but he manages to swallow them down again. It isn’t the right time.

 

“It’s two sugars, right?” Castiel smiles gently and nods, sipping at the warm liquid slowly, his eyes fluttering closed and a happy sigh escaping his lips. Dean smiles, grabbing the plate of eggs and holding a fork out to Cas, grabbing his own and digging into the pile. Cas follows suit after setting his coffee on his nightstand, his posture considerably more relaxed than it had been the night before. 

 

“Thank you for letting me stay, Dean. It helped immensely.” Dean smiles gently, a private smile generally reserved for Cas and Cas alone. 

 

“Anytime, man. Not that I know exactly what you’re going through, but I know how rough it was for me after getting back from Hell, so I can only imagine, with all your angel years and the things you’ve seen…” Cas nods somberly, taking a sip of his coffee. 

 

“I appreciated having your company. I felt… grounded.” He smiles in spite of himself, his shoulder brushing against Dean’s. “In a good way, of course.” Dean chuckles, shaking off the goosebumps where Cas’s arm had brushed his, turning his attention back to the plate of eggs.

 

“I’m glad.”

 

The rest of their meal is spent in relative silence, though it’s the comfortable kind that comes from knowing someone for so long. Sam brings a case to their attention shortly after they finish eating. Dean is adamant that Cas isn’t prepared to hunt yet, to which the fallen angel just rolls his eyes.

 

“I’m more than prepared, Dean. I’ve hunted with you before, and I know how to handle weapons. I was a soldier.” Dean scoffs, sputtering for a moment before he can organize his thoughts into a coherent argument.

 

“You fought as an angel with your badass angel powers, Cas. You’ve never fought a battle as a human.” Dean can feel those blue eyes boring a hole into his face, but he can’t bring himself to look at Cas. Sam glances between the two of them, clearing his throat gently.

 

“Alright, well what if we take Cas to the shooting range and if he manages to hit the target, then he’s good to go? We already know he’s good with hand-to-hand combat, and he’s good with an angel blade.” Dean acquiesces, motioning for Sam to lead the way.

 

Ten minutes later, Cas is geared up and ready to go, standing patiently by the Impala. Turns out, the dude’s a great shot. Three headshots and three chest shots perfectly over where the heart would be in a matter of seconds. Dean’s got no excuse to keep Cas there,  _ safe _ , in the bunker, so he resigns himself to packing his bag and piling into the car with Cas, Mary, and Sam.

 

**Three**

 

The case turns out to be a pack of vampires. They have no problem locating their hideout and the Impala is parked outside, hidden from their eyeline by a line of trees. Dean fishes Sam’s machete out of the trunk, passing it to him and handing Mary hers. He grabs his, looking at it for a moment, chewing the inside of his lip as he turns to Cas.

 

“Here, you can borrow mine. It’s already broken in and everything, and I just sharpened it a few days ago.” Castiel’s eyes light up and he takes the machete gently, cradling it like it’s an infant, his voice gentle when he thanks Dean. The elder Winchester shrugs it off with the rationalization that it’s Cas’s first human hunt with them, so he should have weapons that are guaranteed to work.

 

They make short work of the nest, liberating the people from town who were kidnapped in the process. The cleanup is relatively simple, since there were only five vamps, and they’re heading back to their motel two and a half hours later. They’d agreed on two rooms, so it’s only Dean and Cas that have to share the shower. Dean, being the gentleman that he is, offers Cas the first shower. It may or may not be for selfish reasons, he realizes, when Cas strips his jacket and shirt off, dropping them on the bed in favor of getting clean clothes from his bag. Dean’s throat works slowly, his eyes darting over the new expanse of skin he’s suddenly privy to before fixing his eyes to a spot on the wall behind Cas once he realizes what he’s doing. He is  _ not _ going to check Cas out. 

 

Miraculously, Dean manages to get through his shower without his mind wandering to Cas territory, about how Cas’s very  _ naked _ body had just been where he was standing… He groans inwardly at himself, scrubbing the shampoo out of his hair and rinsing himself off, perhaps a bit too eager to get out of the bathroom and get to bed. They spend the remainder of the night packing their things and setting their bags by the door. Dean and Cas are both in bed before midnight, with Dean’s alarm set to wake them shortly after seven. 

 

**Four**

 

The drive back to Lebanon is uneventful. Dean surrenders control of the Impala to Cas after eight straight hours of driving, sighing as he leans his head against the passenger’s window and falls into a blissful sleep. 

 

Dean’s on laundry duty and Sam’s on dinner, so Dean grabs their bags from the trunk and heads to the laundry room. It’s there that Cas finds him half an hour later, attempting to salvage Sam’s favorite flannel by scrubbing as much of the blood out of it as he can before tossing it into the washer with a frustrated sigh. Cas smiles softly, resting his hand on Dean’s shoulder and squeezing gently. Dean hums a welcome and closes his eyes, his body unconsciously swaying closer to Castiel’s touch.

 

“Sam’s finished dinner, if you’re hungry.” Dean nods after a moment, eyes fluttering open.

 

“Yeah, alright. Lead the way.” Cas smiles, pulling his hand away from Dean’s shoulder and turning on his heel, walking back to the bunker’s kitchen.

 

With the clean laundry folded and put away in the corresponding rooms, Dean drops onto the sofa in the bunker’s makeshift living room. He toes his shoes off, propping his feet up on the coffee table and grabbing the TV remote, flicking through the shows on Netflix before settling on an episode of  _ Black Mirror _ . Cas joins him shortly after his starts it, sitting closer to Dean than most normal humans would, but then again, Cas has never really been normal. They watch the episode in silence, Castiel’s eyes fixed on the TV screen, the fascination evident in his expression. 

 

_ It’s kinda cute. _ Dean’s eyes snap open and he sits up quickly, shaking that thought from his head. Nope, no way is he going there. Not with Cas. What they’ve got it good and he’s not gonna ruin it by being selfish.

 

That’s what he tells himself, anyway. But as soon as Cas comes knocking on his door late that night, he scoots right over in his bed, his body unconsciously relaxing as soon as Cas is burrowed under the blankets with him. So, naturally, this is the opportune time for his brain to encourage him to give Cas one of the most important thing Dean owns: the spare key to the Impala. In his sleep-deprived state, he rolls over and grabs it from the drawer of his nightstand, rolling back over and holding it out to the former angel.

 

“I want you to have this.” Castiel’s eyes stay on the key for a moment before searching out Dean’s face in the semi-darkness of his room.

 

“You… you want me to have the spare key to your car?” Dean nods slowly, the look in Cas’s eyes scaring him slightly.

 

“Um, y-yeah? Is that… alright?” Cas nods quickly, taking the key from Dean and cradling it against his chest. 

 

“Of course, I’m sorry. Of course it is. I’m just… surprised. I thought Sam would have it.” Dean snorts, folding an arm behind his head.

 

“Sam? Kid lost his shoe, how can I trust him to keep a spare key safe?” Cas smiles gently, setting the key on the nightstand on his side, turning to face Dean again.

 

“Thank you. I’m honored.” Dean can feel his cheeks turning pink at that, chuckling softly in an attempt to cover it up.

 

“It’s just a key, Cas.” Dean can practically  _ feel _ the former angel rolling his eyes.

 

“It’s the spare key to the most important object you own. I’d say that’s important.” Dean chuckles, shoving Cas’s shoulder gently.

 

“Alright, Mr. Snark. Go to sleep.”

 

**Five**

 

A week later, it’s Dean’s turn to take the supply run. It’s just under an hour’s drive to the main part of Lebanon, where all the stores are, so they try to minimize their trips there. Cas volunteers to tag along, so the two of them pile into the Impala with the list of groceries and other items they need to return with. Dean lets Cas pick out the music (turns out since the Zeppelin mixtape, Cas’s taste in music has greatly improved), and the drive is smooth. They get to the mall at ten, with an agreement to grab the groceries last so they can get lunch before heading back to the bunker. Thye hit Target first, grabbing bathroom supplies for the four of them, along with a few other odds and ends. Walmart is their next stop, where they pick up four bags of rock salt. The two of them load them into the trunk and Dean crosses salt off the list, nodding toward the grocery store across the parking lot. Cas leads the way, getting them a cart and staying a few steps behind Dean while the elder Winchester shops. Cas takes it upon himself to sneak a few things that look good into the cart when Dean’s not watching, biting back a smile when Dean catches him but lets it slide.

 

They’re checked out and loading the groceries into the trunk just as it starts to snow. They rush to pack the last of the groceries into the trunk before heading into the food court in the mall. They both get their food, settling at a table near the back, comfortably silent while they eat. They toss their trash, agreeing to stay at their table for a little while to let the worst of the snow pass. 

 

“How’re you doin’, Cas?” Dean leans back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“I’m… I’m good. Acclimating. It’s… It isn’t as difficult as it was the first time.” He smiles gently, running his fingers through his hair. Dean follows the movement with his eyes, his tongue darting out to wet his bottom lip. “It’s much easier than last time. More comfortable.” Dean smiles and nods.

 

“Good, that’s good. I’m glad.” Castiel hums, nodding slowly. 

 

They head outside an hour later, crossing the snowy parking lot to the Impala. Dean grabs a snow brush from the trunk, scoffing quietly when Cas takes it from him. The former angel simply chuckles and shrugs, moving Dean out of the way gently while he cleans off the Impala. Dean huffs softly, shrugging his jacket off and draping it over Cas’s shoulders.

 

“Dean, I don’t-” 

 

“Dude, I know, just… take my jacket, okay? It’s cold outside, and you’ve only been human for a little while, I don’t want you getting sick.” Castiel smiles gently and nods, slipping his arms into the sleeves and continuing to clean off the car. Dean smiles fondly, getting in the car and starting it, cranking the heat up. Cas climbs in after tossing the brush in the back seat, pulling Dean’s jacket tighter around himself. Dean smiles gently, squeezing Cas’s shoulder and putting the car in drive, heading back to the bunker.

 

**Six**

 

Three weeks later has them on another hunt, this time closer to Lebanon. It appears to be a simple salt and burn and there’s only been one death, which leaves them with only a few witnesses to interview. Sam and Mary head to the medical examiner’s office after the four of them have breakfast, while Dean and Cas head back to the motel room to change. They both get dressed in their fed suits, with Dean grabbing their notebooks and a gun for both of them while Cas finishes up. A quiet huff from Cas causes Dean to turn around, and he chuckles softly when he sees Cas struggling with his tie. He drops the notebooks on the table, holding out a hand.

 

“Come here, let me fix it.” Cas walks over to him, dropping both ends of the tie unceremoniously. Dean chuckles, flipping the collar of Cas’s shirt up and making quick work of the tie, flipping the collar down and nudging Cas until he turns around, making sure the collar is straight. Cas smiles gratefully, taking his notebook and gun from the table.

 

“Thank you, Dean.” He smiles and nods, grabbing his things off the table and heading to the first witness’s house. 

 

**Seven**

 

Turns out, nothing could be that easy for them. Their supposed ghost turns out to be a reanimated corpse, which is difficult enough to deal with, but this one has an entire family protecting him. They manage to nail the fucker back in his coffin, though Sam’s slammed into a tree so hard that he probably has a concussion, and thanks to the corpse trying to defend himself, Cas earns himself a dislocated shoulder. Dean and Mary make sure they’re both okay before burying the coffin again. Mary helps Sam to his feet, guiding him back to the Impala. Dean crouches, sighing softly.

 

“This is gonna hurt, man. Deep breath, alright? Three, two…” He pops Cas’s shoulder back into place, his heart aching at the pained whimper from his best friend. He slips an arm under Cas’s thighs and around his back, ignoring the tingling in his stomach at having Cas this close. Cas tries to squirm his way out of Dean’s arms with a muttered,

 

“Dean, stop, you don’t have to carry me, I’m too heavy, please don’t hurt yourself.” Dean scoffs, lifting Cas up and holding the fallen angel close. 

 

“I feel like I should be insulted here, Cas. You callin’ me weak?” Cas scoffs, bumping Dean’s shoulder gently with his uninjured one.

 

“Whatever. Take me to the car.” Dean laughs in surprise, glancing down at the ruffled man in his arms.

 

“Of course, your highness.” Cas sticks his tongue out, wincing gently when Dean sets him down on the backseat of the Impala. Dean slides in next to him, letting Cas rest his head on Dean’s thigh. The drive home doesn’t take long, thankfully, and they’re home before the sun rises. Dean slides out of the car and lifts Cas again, who starts to protest. Dean waves him off, rolling his eyes.

 

“Man, come on, you’re not heavy. I’m stronger than I look.” Cas huffs but drops it, letting Dean carry him. Dean walks to his room, setting Cas on his side of the bed gently. He digs through his closet, grabbing a sling and helping Cas put it on carefully. Needless to say, sleeping that night is more complicated than usual.

 

**Eight**

 

The discussion about their sleeping arrangement finally comes up the next morning. Dean’s taken to making coffee and having it ready before he rouses Castiel, and both Sam and Mary have noticed. They corner him in the kitchen (though Dean’s the only one who would consider in “cornering”, both Sam and Mary were already in the kitchen when he got there).

 

“So is Cas staying with you, then?” Sam asks, stirring granola into his yogurt. Dean’s hands freeze just as he starts to pour the coffee grounds in, turning to fix Sam with a glare.

 

“Yeah, so what?” Sam raises his eyebrows, putting his hands up with his palms to Dean.

 

“Dude, relax, I was just asking. I don’t care if you two are together.” Dean scoffs, slamming the lid of the coffee machine closed. 

 

“We’re not. Mind your damn business, Sam.” The younger Winchester smirks, shrugging and eating his breakfast. Dean pour two mugs of coffee, putting sugar in Cas’s and heading back to their room. Mary glances at Sam once Dean leaves, raising her eyebrow.

 

“Are they together? He and Cas?” Sam chuckles, shrugging and pouring himself coffee.

 

“I have no idea. I think Dean’s just deluding himself into thinking they’re not.” 

 

Dean sets Cas’s coffee on his nightstand, brushing his fingers through the man’s hair gently to wake him. Sure enough, Cas stirs, blinking sleepily at Dean.

 

“Mornin, Cas. There’s coffee on the nightstand.” Cas hums his appreciation, sighing contentedly and pushing his head farther into Dean’s hand. Dean chuckles softly, smoothing Cas’s hair back. “How’s your shoulder feelin’?” Cas hums, yawning and sitting up, grabbing the mug of coffee.

 

“It’s alright. A bit sore, but nothing I can’t handle.” Dean shifts to grab a bottle of aspirin, but is stopped by Cas’s hand on his arm. “I mean it, Dean. It’s just a dull ache, I’m alright. You don’t have to dote on me.” Dean blushes at that, clearing his throat and leaning back against the headboard.

 

“Sorry, man, I’m… used to taking care of people, y’know?” Cas smiles and nods, rubbing his eyes. “Sam asked if you’re staying here.” Dean blurts, eyes widening when he realizes how it sounds. Cas simply glances at him, raising his eyebrow.

 

“What did you tell him?”

 

“That you were.” Cas’s curious look melts into a wide smile as he nods, sipping his coffee. 

 

“What does that make us, then?” Dean watches the ruffled man for a moment, hundreds of different words tumbling through his head to describe their relationship. In the end, he just shrugs and bumps Cas’s uninjured shoulder gently.

 

“We’ll figure it out later.”

 

**Nine**

 

Exactly a year to the day that Cas fell, Dean disappears from their room in the early morning. He showers and dresses, grabbing the keys to the Impala and leaving as quietly as he can to avoid waking anyone and ruining the surprise. He heads into Lebanon, picking up all the ingredients for burgers and an apple pie, glancing at the cheesy cards near the checkout before deciding against getting one. Really, it isn’t their anniversary or a birthday or anything, and it might not even be something Cas wants to celebrate. Lucky for Dean, he knows a good burger, especially Dean’s homemade ones, will always put a smile on Cas’s face, no matter how bad the day’s been. 

 

He’s back to the bunker before anyone wakes up, so he puts the groceries away and mixes up pancake batter. He gets a pot of coffee going just as Sam stumbles in, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

 

“Are you making pancakes?” Dean hums, nodding and ladling the batter onto the griddle. “With strawberries?” Dean chuckles, motioning to the fridge.

 

“If you get ‘em out and wash them, sure.” Sam grins and nods, grabbing the strawberries from the fridge. He washes them and cuts the stems off, waving Dean away when he offers to slice them, doing it himself. Mary wanders in just as the first batch of pancakes are done, so she sets plates on the table and gets coffee mugs for the four of them. Cas is the last to wander in, and only after the smell of freshly-brewed coffee has wafted down the hallway and into their room. 

 

“What’s the special occasion?” Mary asks, loading her plate with a couple pancakes and a ton of strawberries. Cas smiles shyly, pouring coffee for each of them.

 

“I believe it’s me. I fell a year ago today.” Sam’s eyes widen and he glances at Mary, who returns his panicked look. Castiel chuckles, shaking his head.

 

“It’s alright. None of you need to make it a big thing. I told you, I chose it. If I’d wanted to, I could’ve returned to Heaven and remained an angel.” He sets mugs in front of Sam and Mary, placing Dean’s on the counter next to him.

 

Breakfast is much more enjoyable once Sam and Mary accept Cas’s explanation. The four of them spend the majority of the morning laughing about hunting stories and stories Mary shares from Dean’s childhood.

 

When dinner rolls around, Dean shoos Castiel into the bunker’s living room, insisting he stay there until Dean comes to get him. He makes quick work of mixing the meat for the patties, forming them and laying them on a plate. It only takes a little while to cook them, so he focuses on cutting the tomatoes, lettuce, and onions, as well as toasting the buns. He makes Cas’s burger with all the fixings the former angel likes, making his own burger as well as Sam and Mary’s, setting them all on the table. He sets out the frilly wine that Sam likes, grabbing a beer for himself and Cas before walking to the library and letting everyone know that dinner’s ready. He smiles to himself when Cas perks up, gripping the man’s arm as he passes. 

 

“I, uh… I wasn’t sure how today was going to be for you, so I uh… I made your favorite.” Cas’s face spreads into a grin, and he pecks Dean’s cheek like it’s the most normal thing ever, like they’ve been doing it forever. And then he just...  _ goes to the kitchen _ . Dean stays rooted to the spot for a good minute before he forces himself to actually move his feet and walk to the kitchen. He takes his seat across the table from Cas, oblivious to Sam and Mary sitting there.

 

**Ten**

 

“I love you.” Cas looks up from his burger, a small smile lighting up his face.

 

“I know.” Dean’s jaw drops, and he can hear Sam muffling laughter next to him.

 

“Are… Cas, did you just  _ Han Solo me? _ ” Cas simply grins and shrugs, picking up his burger and taking a bite. Dean scoffs, nudging the fallen angel’s shin with his foot gently. “Dick.” Cas laughs, a warm sound that fills the kitchen.

 

“Yeah, but you love me.” Dean rolls his eyes fondly, chuckling to himself and picking up his burger when he feels his cheeks heating up.

 

“Yeah. I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [here(:](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/)
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT POST MY WORKS ANYWHERE BUT HERE OR TUMBLR WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION.


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